How it should've happened: Under the Pledging Tree!
by MegazardXY
Summary: Episode 59...possibly the most hyped-up episode of the entire Pokemon anime, had turned out to be quite a disappointment for some of us AmourShippers. This is a quick one-shot portraying how I would have liked the episode to be; enjoy! And remember: AmourShipping can happen for real...we just need to have faith!


What's up guys, PokefanShipping here with a quick one-shot I wrote in my spare time for you all. Let's face it; we were all kind of disappointed with Episode 59, and I'm sure many fellow AmourShippers will agree with me. Some say that we expected too much...and I guess that statement has some validity to it. But really? The Japanese title was literally, "Ash and Serena's First Date? The Tree of yada yada yada" but _First Date_? Couldn't they at least have spent more than 20 seconds of screen time together? I guess they really emphasized the "?" in the title unfortunately. Anyways, the title and description for this story pretty much sums it all up, so enjoy!

Under the Pledging Tree!

~ Coumarine City ~

It's a warm, sunny morning in the beautiful Coumarine City, where Ash has just earned his fourth Gym Badge from Gym Leader Ramos. An exciting battle for everyone to witness, it was a decisive victory involving Fletchinder, Hawlucha, and Frogadier to overcome Ramos's resilient Grass-type Pokemon. As always, Ash brought out the very best in each of his Pokemon, utilizing their strengths and covering for their weaknesses. Now, our heroes are relaxing at the Coumarine Pokemon Center.

"Serena from Vaniville Town, you're all set! I'm happy to say that your entry into the Pokemon Showcase Rookie Class is complete," said the Nurse Joy at the counter.

"Wigglytuff!" Joy's assistant chimed in.

Serena took back her Pokedex from the scanning machine and nodded her head. "Thanks!" she said cheerfully. Then she turned around and looked at her two Pokemon, Fennekin and Pancham.

"Now, Fennekin and Pancham, are you two ready?" she asked them.

Her Pokemon responded in the affirmative, nodding their heads excitedly.

"Cham, cham!"

"Fen!"

Ash looked at Serena. "It's your first performance!"

Bonnie nodded. "I know you're going to be just great!" she said, high-spirited as always.

"I know it doesn't get underway just yet, but do you think you're ready?" Clemont asked.

Serena seemed confident in her answer. "Yeah...but a little bit more practice definitely couldn't hurt. I have to work just as hard as Ash does to be successful!" she said, smiling at Ash.

Ash nodded, smiling back at her. "You're gonna be just fine! Just give it all you got and you'll have nothing to worry about!" he said. Perched on top of Ash's shoulder as usual, Pikachu smiled and added, "Pika!"

"Thanks, Ash. You're right!" Serena said, her cheeks turning a light shade of pink.

Noticing Serena blushing, Bonnie grinned.

The four friends all gazed in awe around them as they exited the Pokemon Center. "What's all this?" Ash asked. There were countless people and Pokemon working together on decorating houses and other buildings with a variety of different lights and ornaments.

"I wonder if something special is going on today?" Clemont asked.

"They're all getting ready for the festival!" a familiar voice said.

The group turned to see Ramos riding up to them on his Gogoat. "Hey Ramos!" Ash said cheerfully.

"Wow, a festival?" Serena asked curiously.

"That's right; the Coumarine City Festival happens each and every year!" Ramos proudly announced. "There's a story behind it. Long, long ago there was a trainer and his Pokemon who went on a journey together and experienced countless adventures. So, at the end of their journey they finally settled down right here on this land and lived happily ever after. In honor of their lasting friendship, the trainer gave his Pokemon a little tree as a lovely reminder of everything they had been through together. Before long, that tree grew and grew until it became the largest tree in Coumarine City, and since then became known as the Pledging Tree!"

"Oh! That sounds wonderful!" Serena exclaimed.

Clemont seemed interested. "Hold on a second...is that tree alive today?" he asked.

Ramos nodded. "Yes, that's it over there!" he said, pointing over at an enormous tree resting atop a large hill. "Since then, it is said that if a trainer gives a gift to their Pokemon underneath that tree, the bond between them will become even stronger. It's become a tradition."

Serena clasped her hands together. "Aw, that's just so sweet!" she said.

"Ramos, what time does the festival begin?" Bonnie asked excitedly.

"It begins at sundown! The trainer places the gift underneath the tree first, then gives it to their Pokemon after the sun goes down," Ramos explained.

Clemont nodded. "So that's why they're all headed down to the tree with all that stuff," he said.

"Sounds like a lot of fun! Why don't we do it, too?" Ash said as he turned to the group. The Pokemon cheered and everyone else was in complete agreement.

"I wonder what I should give my Pokemon?" Serena asked herself, thinking hard about what Fennekin and Pancham might like.

"I want to give a present, too!" Bonnie shouted.

Ramos smiled. "Good, I'm on my way to go and decorate the tree now!"

Ash nodded. "Great! I'm so glad you told us!" he said, turning to the group. "Guys, now that we know, we better go buy those presents!"

"Hey! There's a street known for its shopping right by the port. Why don't we go there? I'm sure we'll find everything we need!" Serena offered.

"Good idea!" Ash said, then he turned to the siblings. "What do you say?"

Clemont raised his hand up politely. "I'm going to be doing something a little different. I'm headed back to the Pokemon Center," he said with a smile on his face.

Ash grinned. "I know what you're up to!"

Adjusting his glasses, Clemont said, "I'll bet you do! I'm going to be assembling my present by hand."

"Sounds cool! I'm sure you're Pokemon will like that best," Ash replied.

Bonnie smirked. "Just don't make sure you don't blow anything up!" she said.

"C'mon! My inventions don't always blow up!" Clemont said, flustered. This received lighthearted laughs from everyone.

Ash set Pikachu down on the ground. "Wait for me here, okay Pikachu?"

Pikachu was confused. "Pika?" he said, tilting his head slightly.

"I know we all love surprises. Presents are a lot more fun when you don't know what you're getting, right?" Ash said.

"You're right! Good idea," Serena said, turning to her Pokemon. "So will you two wait for me here? I'm going to find you both something really nice," Serena said.

"Fen!" Fennekin replied.

"Cham cham," Pancham said.

"So can I take care of them while you're gone?" Bonnie asked hopefully.

Ash nodded. "Yeah, that'd be great, Bonnie!"

Bonnie's face lit up. "Yay! Leave it to me!" she exclaimed happily.

"Come on out, everybody!" Ash said, releasing all of his Pokemon from their Pokeballs. "You all just wait here, okay?" All of his Pokemon nodded without protest.

Clemont also let out all of his Pokemon. Dedenne popped its head out of Bonnie's bag.

"Okay! Everyone ready? Follow me!" Bonnie said, walking into the Pokemon Center. All the Pokemon were close behind her, excited for a fun day off.

Ash turned to Serena. "Ready to go?" he asked.

Serena nodded. "Mhm."

Within the first few seconds of walking, Serena suddenly realized something. _Wow...Ash and I are all alone. It's...it's almost like, we're out on a date!_ She thought. She felt conscious of her hand hovering so close to Ash's, tempted to try and hold it. She quickly panicked and blushed, her hand remaining where it was.

Ash and Serena were on a train that was on its way to the shopping street. As they looked out the window, they could see the vast, empty sky and the beautiful water glistening in the sunlight.

"Wow! It's beautiful!" Serena exclaimed, admiring the view.

Ash nodded in agreement. "Awesome!"

Serena glanced over at Ash, who's face was so cheerful that she couldn't help but smile and chuckle a little bit.

The two trainers finally arrived at the street Serena had been talking about. They looked around, surrounded by bustling shops and hundreds of people.

"This is the heart of the shopping district!" Serena said.

"Then I think we should hit all the shops!" Ash replied excitedly.

"Sounds good!"

Serena walked up to the display window of a fashion store. Inside she noticed a small hat for a Pokemon about Fennekin's size. "This hat is so cute!" she said.

"Hey Serena!" Ash called out. "Check out this face! You think Pikachu and the others will like it?" he asked, pointing to a large inflatable toy.

Serena laughed. "Um, it might just be the tiniest bit too big?" she said, smiling.

Ash looked back at the toy with a slight frown. "Now that you mention it, maybe you're right," he said, chuckling.

They continued their walk through the avenue, marveling at all the impressive merchandise on display. After about 20 minutes of browsing, Serena had bought a large pink ribbon for Fennekin, and a special pair of sunglasses that she knew Pancham would love.

Ash? Ash had nothing.

"Don't worry, I'm sure we'll happen upon something that you can get!" Serena reassured him. He nodded and smiled half-heartedly in response.

"I sure hope so!" he said somewhat cheerfully as they continued walking.

Then Ash felt his stomach growl. He felt a hand to his stomach and scratched the back of his head with the other, embarrassed. "Uh oh, it looks like I'm getting' kinda hungry," he said, looking at Serena.

Serena smiled and laughed. "That's fine! I'm sure there are plenty of great places to eat around here...just let me see..." she said as she browsed her device for local restaurants. "Oh! How about this place?" she asked, leaning closer to Ash so he could see.

Ash licked his lips as he read the description of the restaurant and some of their specialty dishes. "That sounds really tasty! Let's head there right now, and then we can keep shopping later!"

The two trainers walked together to the Coumarine Grill, which was apparently _the_ place to eat in that area of the city.

Ash opened the door and held it open for Serena to walk through. The hostess who greeted them was a young woman with dark brown hair and green eyes.

"Table for two, please," Ash said.

The woman smiled at them. "Right this way!" she said. They followed her to their table and sat down.

Their waitress greeted them with a smile as she held a notepad in her hands. Ash and Serena ordered their food right away, since they were both pretty hungry. As the waitress turned to leave, she smiled at the two of them and said, "You kids are so cute these days."

Ash looked puzzled. "What did she mean by that?" he asked, turning to Serena.

Serena blushed a deep shade of red as she tried to change the subject. "Um, so have you decided on what you're going to get your Pokemon?" she asked.

Ash shrugged and shook his head. "Sadly, no. I just don't know what to get...you'd think I would at least know what to get Pikachu, but I don't..." he looked down.

Serena didn't like seeing Ash so down on himself. "Hey, it'll be alright! I'm sure you'll figure it out. After all, they're your Pokemon. I think they'll love their presents no matter what you give them!"

"Here you are, enjoy your meal, you two!" the waitress said as she served Ash and Serena their dishes. Both trainers admired the food and hoped that it would taste as good as it looked. Fortunately, they weren't disappointed one bit.

As they were eating, Serena kept trying to brainstorm ideas for Ash. "How about you think about something you would love to get as a gift? I'll bet your Pokemon think just like you do, so naturally they might like the same things!" she said hopefully.

Ash tilted his head a little, thinking hard. This was relatively difficult, since Ash never really thought hard about anything except Pokemon battling. "Hmmm, something I would want..." and then he glanced at his plate. _Oh my god...it's been right in front of me the whole time!_ He thought as he stood up. He waved at their waitress and asked for the check.

Serena looked confused. "So...you thought of something?" she asked optimistically.

He nodded, a wide grin on his face. "You bet!" he exclaimed enthusiastically.

They paid for their meal and Ash tipped the waitress. "C'mon, Serena, let's go! I know the perfect gift now!" he said, grabbing her hand and pulling her along with him out of the restaurant and back into the streets.

They ran for about three minutes until they reached the edge of town, where a large forest lay ahead. Ash adjusted his hat and turned to Serena. "We're here! Now, you wanna help me pick some berries?" he asked, smiling.

"Oh, wow Ash, that's the perfect idea! Of course I'll help you! Let's get started right now!" Serena said.

The two trainers began piling up berries into a large sack. Oran Berries, Pecha Berries, Cheri Berries...this forest was full of them, and dozens of other kinds, too.

10 minutes passed and they had collected something around 200 berries, plenty for all of Ash's Pokemon. Ash tied up the sack and hefted it over his shoulder.

"All right! This should be enough," he said as they started walking.

Serena smiled and nodded. "For sure! Just make sure _you_ don't start snacking on them on the way back!" she joked, laughing lightheartedly. Ash laughed and smiled back.

As the two continued walking, Ash found himself struggling to find the right words to say to Serena at that moment. He wanted to show her his gratitude, but he was also feeling something...more. He just didn't quite know what it was yet.

They reached the monorail station, both of them tired from all the running and walking. As Ash stepped inside, suddenly confetti flew everywhere and a few men stood in front of them. One of them held a small yellow box in his hands.

"Congratulations! You are the millionth passenger on the monorail today! To commemorate this occasion, we'd like to present to you a small gift," the man said, handing Ash the box. Ash accepted it with gratitude. "Hey, thanks!" he said.

On the ride back, Serena asked Ash to open the box to see what was inside. He lifted the top of the box off and revealed a long, blue ribbon.

Serena loved it. "Wow, what a pretty ribbon!" she exclaimed.

Ash nodded. "Yeah! Although I wonder what I would do with it," he said, chuckling.

They finally reached the Pokemon Center, where Clemont, Bonnie, and the Pokemon were all waiting for them. Clemont had just wrapped up his present, and had also helped wrap up Bonnie's.

"All right! Looks like we're all set to go, then!" Clemont said, nodding toward Ash and Serena. "Are you two ready to head over to the tree?"

Bonnie smirked a little, although no one had noticed. "Did you two have fun?" she asked slyly, although again, no one noticed what she had been implying.

Ash and Serena both nodded and smiled. "Of course! The shopping avenue was just gorgeous, and we ate at a fantastic restaurant!" Serena said excitedly.

"Yeah, although I didn't buy anything at any of the stores, Serena gave me the idea for the perfect gift!" Ash said.

Serena blushed a little, but only Bonnie noticed. Ash and Clemont were already starting to head out the door.

The group made their way to the Pledging Tree. On the ground beneath the tree lay hundreds of wrapped-up gifts that trainers had put there for their Pokemon.

 ***Time skip through the Team Rocket part because I'm lazy and I would just be rewriting what happened***

After Team Rocket blasted off, everyone cheered for Ash, Clemont, and Serena who had bravely fended them off with their Pokemon. And soon enough, it was dark enough for the lights to come on. Everyone marveled at the sight of the trunk and vines of the massive tree illuminating, an intricate display of bright shining lights.

"Here you go, Fennekin and Pancham! I got a pretty ribbon for Fennekin, and a pair of sunglasses for Pancham! Hope you guys like them!" Serena said as she handed the gifts to her Pokemon, who both happily accepted them.

Clemont showed his Pokemon the music box he had built from scratch inside the Pokemon Center. It had miniature figurines of Chespin, Bunnelby, and Luxio all spinning in a circle as a catchy tune played from the small speakers. They loved it.

"Here ya go!" Ash shouted excitedly, dropping the sack of berries onto the ground. "Dig in!"

Pikachu, Frogadier, Fletchiner, Hawlucha, and Goomy all happily began stuffing themselves with berries to their heart's content. Ash really had picked the perfect gift.

It wasn't long until the fireworks started. Huge displays of blue, red, green, and all sorts of different colors illuminated the night sky, sparks flying every which way. It was truly a sight to behold, especially on such a momentous occasion.

Ash turned to Serena. "Hey, Serena?"

She turned to him with a winning smile on her face. "What, Ash?"

He extended his arm out, and in his hand was the little yellow box he had received at the monorail station. "Here, take this. I wanted you to have something from me," he said.

Serena looked a little surprised. Pleasantly surprised, of course. "What...what for?" she asked, her heart starting to feel warm already.

Ash turned to the Pokemon. "I never would have been able to choose a present for them without your help. So, this is just my way of saying, 'thanks a lot!'," Ash said, rubbing underneath his nose.

Serena was overcome with sheer happiness as she accepted the box from Ash's hand. "Thank you, Ash! I'll always treasure it!" she said. And then she did something she had always been wanting to do.

She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him in for a hug. "And that's my way of saying thank you to you, for everything you've done for me!" she said with a wink, her cheeks a deep shade of pink.

The two of them stared off at the fireworks, enjoying the rest of the celebration with their friends and Pokemon.

– – – –

And that, everyone, is how I wanted the episode to play out. Still somewhat realistic, but more relatable to the Japanese title, _"Satoshi and Serena's First Date? The Tree of Promises and the Presents!"_ Sadly, that title was quite misleading for us AmourShippers, but the recent episodes have totally made up for it in my opinion.

What was something you wanted to see in this episode? Were you also disappointed in Episode 59? Do you think it possibly foreshadows AmourShipping becoming canon in the future? Let me know in the reviews! Thanks for reading!


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